The anti-terrorism court hearing the Salmaan Taseer assassination case has expressed surprise over the absence of any prosecution lawyer in the case.

Hearing the case in Pakistan's Adiala Jail, the ATC directed the investigators to ensure the presence of a prosecution lawyer on the next hearing, The Daily Times reports.

Late Punjab Governor Taseer's assassin Malik Mumtaz Qadri's trial will be held in the jail owing to security reasons.

After Kohsar police submitted their investigation report to the court, the judge distributed its copies to the Elite Force constable and his lawyers, and said the accused would formally be indicted on the next date of hearing- on February 1.

In the investigation report, the police have mainly relied on the confessional statement of Qadri, who had admitted to killing Taseer on January 4 after he was instigated by the speeches of two prayer leaders in his locality of Muslim Town on December 31.

Qadri said he was angry over Taseer's remarks about the country's blasphemy law.

It is noteworthy that the liberal politician had supported the release of Pakistani-Christian woman Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death on blasphemy charges.

The authorities have cited about 40 prosecution witnesses in the investigation report, the majority comprising of Taseer's other security guards, Islamabad police officers and the doctors who carried out the late governor's postmortem.